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v Patented Nov.'2 7, 192s.

CHARLES H. MACDOWELL, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO ARMOUR FERTILIZER WORKS, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF JERSEY.

rnonucrrolv or sonrnun n'Iox-mn Tam) HYDROGEN.

No Drawing.

3s znzozeso2 2H- 2s.

The net result of the reaction, as will beread- 11y perceived, is the reduction of water by sulphur as in the following equation 2H O S280 2H tion, under proper conditions, it should be possible to-obtain four pounds of hydrogen for every sixty-four pounds of sulphur dioxide produced, or, expressed somewhat otherwise, it'ought to be feasible theoretically to secure one pound of hydrogen for every eight pounds of sulphur, appearin as sulphur dioxide, this representing ane ciency of conversion of 100%.

When sulphur vapor-and an excess of steam were passed together through an empty chamber at temperatures between 900 C. and 1000 0., the exit gases contained over 50% of the hydrogen theoreticallyobtainable,

and, as the temperature was raised above .'1000 C., a greater yield of hydrogen was had, but, for practical reasons the temperature of operation was for the most part restricted to from 900 C. to 1000 C..

When the chamber through which the gases were passed was packed with pieces of fire-brick, it was possible to increase-the yield of hydrogen to ,about 75% to 80% of the theoretical amount.

effected when using fire-brick impregnated with certain metals or oxides of metals, or by the employment. of these substances by themselves, such as nickel oxide, cobalt oxide,-

vanadium oxide, chromium oxide, titanium oxide uranium oxide, tungsten oxide, latinum or the other metals of theplatm'um group. v e

The best'results however, were secured by the use of ironfoxide as a catalyst, and, at a temperature of 1000;C., yields of 97% or better of the hydrogen theoretically obtainable were achieved. v

Theoretically, then, according to this equa- Further increases in the yield were Application filed November 21, 1927. Serial in. 234,902.

The procedure was as follows Sulphur was heated ina receptacle until it vapor, such water vapor being in excess of that required by the reaction. 4

The mixed gases were then caused to flow through at-ube packed or charged with the 1,693, UNITED STATES P E T OFFICE Ann HERBERT n MEYERS, or

catalytic material and heated tov from 900 C.

0., the gases issuing or discharging from the tube consisting of-water vapor, sulphur, sulphur dioxide and 7h drogen, with traces at times of hydrogen sulphide. I

The water vapor was "condensed together with any sulphur which collected in the wa- 'ter, and the sulphur. dioxide was either scrubbed out of the gas with' water, or condensed as liquid SO in any one of several known ways, the residual gas being practically all hydrogen.

If it is desired to produce pure hydrogen for various uses the impure hydrogen gas may be scrubbed with an alkaline solution,

which will remove the compounds.

Preferably, the sulphur condensed from the exitgases is recovered and returned for re-use in the apparatus by which the process is practiced.

The invention, therefore, in general, consists inheating together, preferably but not necessarily in. the presence of a catalyst, sulphur vapor and steam, the latter desirably last traces of sulphur in excess'quantity, to about 900 C. or over,

to produce a gaseous mixture containin hydrogen and sulphur dioxide, from whic the hydro en produced being suitable for uses;

' We claim: 1

perature and for-"a periodof time sufiicient gaseous mixture containing sulto produce a the latter is removed and may be condensed, the manu acture of synthetic ammonia or various hydrogenation processes, or for other q phur-dioxide and hydnagen and recovering said, sulphur-dioxide an ually from such mixture.

2. The process which consists of heatingha mixture of sulphur-vapor and steam in t e hydrogen individ:

' presence of'iron-oxide as a catalyst at a temperature of about nine hundred (9 grees centigrade to produce a gaseous IIllX- ture containing sulphur-dioxide and hydro- 5 gen and recovering said sulphur-dioxide and hydrogen individually from such mixture.

". 3. The process which consists of heating a mixture of sulphur-vapor and an excess of steam in the presence of iron-oxide as a 10 catalyst at about nine hundred (900) degre a temperature of not less than es centigrade to produce a gaseous mixture' 'coutainr ing steam,- sulphur, sulphur-dioxide and hydrogen, condensing the steam and sulphur, removing the sulphur-dioxide leaving the 15 residual hydrogen andusing such recovered sulphur in the production of further sulphur 

